That was the number of players who had been selected when the Cardinals were on the clock for the second time in the sixth round of the 2013 draft.

The Cardinals had selected a running back, Stepfan Taylor, in the fifth round, so they weren't in the market for a second one.

But there was Andre Ellington's name, printed neatly on the team's board that ranked the top 120 players, and to General Manager Steve Keim, Ellington's name might as well have been lit with blinking LED bulbs.

"A lot of times, if emotion played into it, you'd say, 'Well, we already took the back,' " Keim said. "The good thing is we had those conversations and we knew we couldn't pass on Andre because of his grade."

Ellington's success as a rookie is an example of why it's wise for teams to pick players based on talent, not perceived need.

Cards first picks since 1954:

Take a look at the Cardinals' first draft picks in each season going back to 1954 (Round selected other than first in parentheses) 2014: Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

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Ellington finished with more rushing yards (658) than 11 of the 15 running backs drafted ahead of him, including Taylor. His 5.53 yards-per-carry average led all NFL players with a minimum of 100 rushing attempts.

Ellington, who enters this season as the starter, wouldn't be on the team if the Cardinals had drafted strictly by need. It's a philosophy that Keim and coach Bruce Arians will follow as the 2014 draft unfolds over the next three days.

"That's why I always say so many times when people talk about so-called needs, your needs in April are never the same as they are in October," Keim said, "whether it's injuries or contracts or suspensions."

The Cardinals have spent the past few months building two draft boards.

One assigns players' grades based on their positions. That supplements a separate board that ranks the top 120 players in the draft, at least from the Cardinals' perspective.

Players on that board passed through what Keim called a "Cardinal filter" that "eliminates some players based on character, medical concerns and guys that we just don't feel like fit us schematically," Keim said.

Biggest draft busts of all time:

USA TODAY Sports' takes a look at the biggest NFL Draft busts of all time. Who is the biggest? (Photo: Phil Carter-USA TODAY Sports)

33. Robert Gallery, T, Raiders (No. 2, 2004): Think Tony Mandarich-lite. Gallery never made it as a tackle before eventually settling in at guard. Like Mandarich, he was far eclipsed by others bracketing him in that year's top five: Eli Manning, Larry Fitzgerald, Philip Rivers and Sean Taylor. (Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

31. David Carr, QB, Texans (No. 1, 2002): With the lack of blocking and weaponry around him, he quickly became gunshy. In Houston's defense, it wasn't a good year for quarterbacks given Joey Harrington and Patrick Ramsey were among the other options. (Photo: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)

28. Colts defenders: Indianapolis owned the top two picks in 1992 and came away with defensive tackle Steve Emtman and linebacker Quentin Coryatt, who combined for zero Pro Bowl nods. Emtman's career was derailed by injuries, while Coryatt never emerged as the playmaker the Colts envisioned. Linebacker Trev Albert got the call at No. 5 in 1994, but elbow problems limited him to 29 games. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

27. Steve Spurrier, QB, 49ers (No. 3, 1967): Before failing as an NFL head coach, the 1966 Heisman Trophy winner floundered as a player for San Francisco and, later, the expansion Buccaneers. Spurrier finished with 40 TD passes and 60 INTs in 10 seasons. The No. 4 pick in 1967 was Hall of Fame QB Bob Griese, who was followed two spots later by Canton RB Floyd Little. (Photo: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

26. Bengals QBs: Carson Palmer was pretty good for nearly a decade but very much contrasted with the other quarterbacks Cincinnati reached for in the first round: Jack Thompson (1979), David Klingler (1992) and Akili Smith (1999). Greg Cook (1969) might've been the best of the bunch had his career not been ruined by a shoulder injury in his rookie season. (Photo: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

24. Steve Little, P/K, Cardinals (No. 15, 1978): Who? Exactly. The St. Louis Cardinals selected the combo specialist – who wasn't particularly good at placekicking or punting as it turned out – when they could have had Doug Williams or Ozzie Newsome. Tragically, Little was paralyzed in a car accident following his brief career. (Photo: AP)

22. Mike Mamula, DE, Eagles (No. 7, 1995): Perhaps the most cautionary tale of a combine warrior, Mamula gave Philadelphia 31.5 sacks in six seasons. In that same first round, the Buccaneers landed both Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks after Mamula's name was called. (Photo: Eileen Blass, USA TODAY Sports)

21. Blair Thomas, RB, Jets (No. 2, 1990): Thomas rushed for 2,009 yards in four seasons with New York. Emmitt Smith, who came off the board 15 spots later, did a bit better. Cortez Kennedy and Junior Seau were among the Jets' other options at No. 2. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

18. Courtney Brown, DE, Browns (No. 1, 2000): The 2000 draft receives far more recognition for the guy who went in the sixth round at pick 199 (Tom Brady) than the injury plagued player taken at the top. (Photo: Paul Sancya, AP)

17. 1999 quarterbacks: At the time, they were expected to compete with the vaunted 1983 QB crop. Didn't happen. Donovan McNabb (picked No. 2) had a solid career and Daunte Culpepper (11th) was on his way before ripping up a knee. But Tim Couch (No. 1), Akili Smith (3rd) and Cade McNown (12th) have long resided in the NFL's dust bin. (Photo: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

15. Top of 2009 draft: Matthew Stafford went No. 1 – a fine choice – but was followed by Jason Smith, Tyson Jackson and Aaron Curry. Meanwhile, Clay Matthews barely snuck into the first round that year, Mike Wallace went in the third and Arian Foster didn't get picked at all. (Photo: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

12. Johnny "Lam" Jones, WR, Jets (No. 2, 1980): New York traded two first-round picks to get the Texas sprinter. He averaged fewer than 30 catches and 500 yards during his five NFL seasons. Elsewhere, Anthony Munoz, taken one spot after Jones, became arguably the league's best all-time tackle while Art Monk had a record-setting career for the Redskins. (Photo: Joe Giza, AP)

9. Russell Erxleben, P, Saints (No. 11, 1979): If you're going to take a punter in the first round, he better be Ray Guy. Erxleben wasn't. Little wonder the Saints, who passed on Kellen Winslow (not to mention Joe Montana), were a laughingstock for decades. (Photo: Michael Zagaris, Getty Images)

8. 1991 QBs: Brett Favre was a second-round selection in '91. The guys who went in Round 1 instead? Dan McGwire (No. 16) and Todd Marinovich (No. 24), who combined for 2,090 career passing yards … or about half a season for Favre. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

6. Lawrence Phillips, RB, Rams (No. 6, 1996): St. Louis knew of Phillips' history of off-field issues but rolled the dice anyway while opting to trade Jerome Bettis to the Steelers. Eddie George, Marvin Harrison, Ray Lewis and Terrell Owens were all drafted after Phillips, who now sits in a California jail cell. (Photo: James A. Finley, AP)

5. Charles Rogers, WR, Lions (No. 2, 2003): It seemed like when he wasn't hurt, he was getting arrested. Rogers managed just 36 catches in three seasons as the worst of Detroit's dubious run of first-round receivers pre-Megatron. The guy taken right after Rogers? Andre Johnson. (Photo: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

4. Art Schlichter, QB, Colts (No. 4, 1982): Here today, banned tomorrow and not very good in between. Schlichter, infamous for his gambling issues, lost all six of his career starts, throwing three TDs vs. 11 picks. Alternatives that year included Jim McMahon, Mike Munchak, Marcus Allen and Andre Tippett. (Photo: Dick Raphael-USA TODAY Sports)

3. Tony Mandarich, OT, Packers (No. 2, 1989): The man Sports Illustrated deemed "The Incredible Bulk" quickly morphed into "The Incredible Bust." Green Bay's miscalculation is only accentuated by the fact that the four other players in that draft's top five now have Hall of Fame busts: Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

2. Ryan Leaf, QB, Chargers (No. 2, 1998): Who's better – Leaf or Peyton Manning? That was the talk leading up to the 1998 draft. San Diego actually preferred Manning but was left with Leaf. After winning his first two starts, Leaf's career quickly went down the drain. Players drafted afterward include Charles Woodson, Randy Moss, Alan Faneca, Fred Taylor, Matt Hasselbeck and Hines Ward. (Photo: Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY Sports)

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Predicting what the Cardinals will do with the 20th overall pick tonight is easy if you don't put a premium on accuracy. The team's media-relations department looked back at 22 different final mock drafts from 2013, and not one had the Bears taking guard Kyle Long with the selection.

Likewise, the Cardinals could go in any number of directions. They have only six draft picks, so trading down for additional selections is possible. So is staying put and taking a strong safety, an outside linebacker, a receiver, an offensive lineman … you get the idea.

"I don't know that there is a position on this team that we are not going to look at," Keim said.

The mock drafts bear witness to that.

"If you Google 2014 mock draft, there are about 18 pages of them," Arians said. "Of those 18 pages, I don't think we have had the same player picked in any of them.

"It makes for great banter and chatter and good bar talk. It's fun to look at."

Arians has looked at a lot of them. "I read them all," he said. "I've had two extra weeks this year. What else are you going to do?"

The Cardinals conducted their own mock drafts this week, and Keim has tried to avoid looking at too many others.

"They confuse you and get your mind scrambling for sure," he said. "I think you just have to be patient, trust your board."

Each NFL franchise's top undrafted player:

USA TODAY Sports' takes a look at each NFL franchise's top undrafted player, players who came out of nowhere to have successful careers. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

Arizona Cardinals - QB Jim Hart, Southern Illinois (left): Played 18 seasons with the Cardinals in St. Louis before finishing his career with a season in Washington. Was selected to the Pro Bowl 4 times. (Photo: File photo)

Buffalo Bills - RB Fred Jackson, Coe College: Signed to the Bills practice squad in 2006 out of the United Indoor Football League and made his NFL debut in '07. Between '09-11, he tallied nearly 4,000 yards from scrimmage. (Photo: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)

Carolina Panthers - FB Brad Hoover, West Carolina: Played a decade for the Panthers, mostly as their starting fullback, leading the way for the likes of DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster. (Photo: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)

Chicago Bears - C-G Jay Hilgenberg, Iowa: Made 7 straight trips to the Pro Bowl from 1985-91 and was selected a 2-time All-Pro during a 12-year career. Starting in 1983, he was a member of a line that produced seven top-3 rushing offenses in eight seasons and won a ring in the '85 Super Bowl. (Photo: George Rose/Getty Images)

Cincinnati Bengals - DL Coy Bacon, Jackson State: Three-time Pro Bowler who also played for the Rams, Chargers and Redskins, Bacon had his two best years - 1976-77 - in a Bengals uniform as part of a dominant 14-year career. (Photo: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

Detroit Lions - DB Dick "Night Train" Lane, Western Nebraska, CC-Scottsbluff: The 7-time Pro Bowler and 3-time All-Pro had 68 career INTs. He originally signed with the Los Angeles Rams and had 14 INTs as a rookie and tallied 10 more for the Chicago Cardinals in '54. Played his last 6 seasons for Lions. (Photo: File photo)

Green Bay Packers - DB Willie Wood, USC: A QB for the Trojans, he wrote to several teams asking for a tryout and only the Packers responded. He was an 8-time Pro Bowler and 5-time All-Pro who collected 48 career interceptions and won five NFL championships and the first two Super Bowls. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989. (Photo: File photo)

Houston Texans - RB Arian Foster, Tennessee: After making one start as a rookie in 2009, he's been to three straight Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro status by rushing for 4,264 yards and 41 TDs over the last three seasons to go with a half-dozen TD catches in that span. (Photo: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)

Indianapolis Colts - C Jeff Saturday, North Carolina: The 6-time Pro Bowler and 2-time All-Pro originally signed with Ravens, then sat out a year before joining Colts in 1999. He and Peyton Manning recorded the most starts (170) by a QB-C tandem in NFL history. (Photo: Michael Hickey-USA TODAY Sports)

Jacksonville Jaguars - K Mike Hollis, Idaho: Made 80 percent of his kicks over an 8-year career that included a trip to the Pro Bowl in 1997. Edges RB Montell Owens, Maine, who made the Pro Bowl in 2010 and '11 as a special teams ace. (Photo: Andy Lyons/Allsport)

Miami Dolphins - C Jim Langer, South Dakota State, and G Larry Little (photo), Bethune-Cookman: Langer played a decade in Miami after being cut by the Browns in training camp. A 6-time Pro Bowler and 4-time All-Pro, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. Little played a dozen seasons in Miami after 2 in San Diego. The 5-time Pro Bowler and 5-time All-Pro was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. (Photo: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

New England Patriots - WR Wes Welker, Texas Tech: The 5-foot-9 receiver is a 5-time Pro Bowler and 2-time All-Pro who originally signed with San Diego, then went to Miami before starring for 6 seasons in New England, where he caught 672 passes, 37 for touchdowns. (Photo: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)

New Orleans Saints - LB Sam Mills, Montclair State: The 5-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro was undersized at 5-foot-9 but started 173 career games, starring in New Orleans from 1986-94 before wrapping up his career with three stellar seasons in Carolina. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

New York Giants - S Emlen Tunnell, Toledo, Iowa: The 9-time Pro Bowler and 4-time All-Pro collected 79 interceptions for Giants from 1947-55 and Packers from '59-61. In 1952 he gained more yards on kickoffs, punts and interceptions (924) than that season's NFL rushing leader. Elected to Hall of Fame in '67. (Photo: File photo)

New York Jets - WR Wayne Chrebet, Hofstra: After convincing a skeptical security guard at the Jets complex in 1995 that he was there to play football, Chrebet became the first Hofstra player to make an NFL roster since John Schmitt in 1964. His stellar 11-year career was cut short by multiple concussions. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

Oakland Raiders - DB Willie Brown, Grambling State: The 9-time Pro Bowler and 5-time All-Pro originally signed in 1963 with the Houston Oilers, who cut him in training camp. He joined the Broncos, who traded him to Raiders in '67. He had 54 interceptions and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984. (Photo: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports)

Philadelphia Eagles - CB Herman Edwards, California, San Diego State: Collected 33 interceptions in his decade-long career, including 7 in his second season in 1978. He later coached the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets before embarking on a successful career as an NFL analyst. (Photo: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports)

San Diego Chargers - TE Antonio Gates, Kent State: Was a power forward as a college basketball player and didn't play football until signing with the Chargers in 2003. One of the best tight ends in NFL history, he has 83 career TD catches and is an 8-time Pro Bowler and 3-time All-Pro. (Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

San Francisco 49ers - RB Joe Perry, Compton Community College: The 1969 Hall of Fame inductee was the first player in NFL history to post consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and finished with 12,532 combined yards during a 16-year career in which he was a 3-time Pro Bowler and 2-time All-Pro. (Photo: George Rose/Getty Images)

St. Louis Rams - Kurt Warner, QB, Northern Iowa: Originally signed by the Packers, where he had no shot of beating out Brett Favre. He played in the Arena League before becoming a 2-time MVP and a Super Bowl MVP for the Rams. He also led the Arizona Cardinals to a Super Bowl, capping a 12-year career that included 4 Pro Bowl berths and 2 All-Pro selections. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - LB Shelton Quarles, Vanderbilt: Played in 148 games over a 10-year career in Tampa that included a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2002, when he helped the Buccaneers win their only Super Bowl. (Photo: Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports)

Washington Redskins - T-G Joe Jacoby, Louisville: The 4-time Pro Bowler and 2-time All-Pro was a staple of the Hogs from 1981-93, edges out Antonio Pierce and London Fletcher, who was named to the Pro Bowl at ages 34, 35 and 36. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

The 2014 NFL Draft will be held May 8-10. To prepare, USA TODAY Sports' Brent Sobleski ranks the top prospects at each position. Here are the running backs.

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First-round talent?

No running back was selected in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. It was the first time the position wasn't selected during the first round in 50 years. History is set to repeat itself. The 2014 running back class is devoid of a first-round talent. Here are the top running back prospects for the 2014 NFL draft:

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1. Tre Mason, Auburn

As the season wore on, Mason got stronger. In the Iron Bowl and the SEC and National Championship games, Mason carried the ball 109 times for 663 yards. Mason is a stout runner with the rare ability to cut without decelerating. He also presses the hole and sets up blockers well.

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2. Jeremy Hill, LSU

Hill is an easy projection because he comes out of a pro-style running attack. Hill is a big and physical back at 233 pounds, who also has the ability to break long runs. The biggest question surrounding Hill is an off-the-field incident which occurred prior to the season.

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3. Carlos Hyde, Ohio State

Hyde is very similar to Hill in size and production. The biggest difference is Hyde played in a spread scheme, where most of his yards were gained running downhill. Hyde can make quick cuts in small areas to make defenders miss. He's also an option in the passing game.

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4. Charles Sims, West Virginia

Sims has very good speed and quickness as a runner. Yet, he was tentative at times during his one year playing with the Mountaineers. Sims is also one of the most polished receivers among the running backs with 213 career catches.

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5. Andre Williams, Boston College

Williams was a true workhorse for the Eagles. He carried the ball 355 times for 2,177 yards and 18 touchdowns. Williams is a big back (5-11, 230) at his best running between the tackles.

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6. Terrance West, Towson

West is another high-volume ball carrier. He ran the ball 391 times for 2,468 yards and 40 touchdowns. West is a decisive one-cut runner and tremendous in short-yard situations.

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7. Lache Seastrunk, Baylor

Seastrunk is easily the most explosive runner in this class. He explodes through a hole and runs by defenders. The main concern his toughness and ability, or lack thereof, to run effectively between the tackles.

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8. Bishop Sankey, Washington

Sankey is a good all-around back, but there are questions why his performances didn't look as explosive as his workouts. He doesn't look overly explosive during games, but he ran a sub-4.5 40-yard dash at the combine.

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9. Ka'Deem Carey, Arizona

Over the past two seasons, no running back at the FBS level ran for more yards than Carey. Carey is a strong one-cut zone-scheme runner. But he's not the best overall athlete or the biggest back.

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10. Marion Grice, Arizona State

Grice brings value on third down. He is the most advanced pass catcher of this group. He's as comfortable lined up wide as he is taking a hand-off.